Daniel moleod



(No Model.)

D. lVIoLEOD.

SLAGK ADJUSTEB. FOR CAB. BRAKES.

No. 330,251. Patented Nov. l0, 1885.

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,UNITED STATES PATENT trice.

DANIEL MOLEOD, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

SLACK-ADJUSTER `FOR CAR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,251, dated November 10,1885.

Application tiled September 17, 1885. Serial No. 177,359, (No mo lol.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern'.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL MoLEoD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Slack-Adjusters for Railway-Car Brakes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a vertical section of a car-truck embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation. Fig. 3 is an edge view ot' the same, and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 represent the various parts in detail. Y

This invention relates to improvements in car-brakes, its object being to devise means whereby the slack of the brake-shoes, occasioned by wear against the wheels, may be taken up, and the shoes kept Vat the proper distance from the Wheels until worn out; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangements of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a longitudinal section of a cartruck having the brake-shoes B B hung to its end beams by the links b b in the usual manner.

G C are the brake-levers for the shoes B B', respectively, which levers are connected to the shoes by the brake-bars c c, pivoted at their inner ends upon the levers at proper points, and having their outer ends suitably connected with the shoes.

D is the rod pivoted to the lower end of and connecting the front and rear brake-levers; and E is the rod pivoted to the upper end of the lever C, and running thence to the handwheel or other source of power, by which the shoes B B are forced against the wheels F F', respectively. The connecting-rod D, near its end that is pivoted on the lever (l, is provided with a thread, d, passing through' the sleevenut G, provided near its inner end with a circumferential groove, g. The outer portion of the sleeve-nut is enlarged, and has secured around its outer end a ratchet-wheel, H.

I is a sleeve fitting upon the inner smaller portion of the sleeve-nut, and resting against the shoulder formed by its enlarged portion. The sleeve is kept in position on the sleevenut by the screw i, which passes through it and enters the groove g, but does not prevent the sleeve-nut from turning within it. The end of the sleeve-nut projecting inward from the sleeve is properly squared to allow it to be turned by awrench, if, necessary. i is a lug projecting upward from the sleeve, and having pivoted upon it the angle-lever J, the horizontal outwardly-standing arni of which has pivoted upon it the pawl K, adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel H. The said pawl is pivoted sufficiently loose on the lever J to prevent it binding on the ratchet-wheel, and a shoulder on the arm'of the lever to which it is pivoted prevents it from having sufficient lateral motion to disengage from the same. 7s is an upwardly and outwardly curved arm standing from the top ofthe pawl, and weighted at its end to force the latter into engagement with the ratchet-wheel. The longer vertical arm of the angle-lever is connected to the brake-lever C by the link-bar L, one end of which pivots on the end of said arm, and the other end on the brake-lever a sufficient distance above the connection of the brake-bar c therewith. The said link-bar is made of two parts, Z Z, having reversed threads on their adjacent ends, by means of which, and the nut Z engaging said threads, the link-bar may either be lengthened or shortened, so as to throw inward or outward the upper end of the angle-lever, and consequently adjust the position of the pawl with reference to the ratchet-wheel. The position of the anglelever with reference to the brake-lever is adjusted by screwing the sleeve-nut inward or outward on the rod D.

M is a supporting-bar bolted to the brakelever below the connection of the brake-bar c. It runs upward and inward from the brakelever, and lies under the outwardly-bent portion of the angle-lever, so as to maintain the upright position of the latter.

The manner in which the device operates is as follows: When-the rod E is drawn inward ICO by the hand-wheel or other power, the brakeshoe B is drawn against the wheel F, and the lower end of the brake-lever C, being thrown outwardly, draws the brake-shoe B against the Wheel F by means of the rod D and brakelever C. The shoes being in contact with the wheels are worn, and when the brakes are released would 'consequently be farther away from the wheels than before, but the inward moving of the brake-lever C moves the link L, and consequently the end of the long arm of the angle-lever inward. This motion raises the end of the short arm of the angle-lever, and consequentlylifts the pawl to a higher position. Vhen the brakes are released, this described motion is reversed, and the pawl falling engages and turns the ratchet-wheel, causing the nut-sleeve to travel inward on the rod D, and drawing the upper part of the brake-lever C and the shoe nearer to the wheel,

by means of the sleeve, angle-lever, and linkbar- L. The consequent throwing outwardy of the lower end of thebrake-lever draws the shoe B also close to its wheel. The parts are so constructed and arranged as to make this compensation very exact, and the adjustment of the said parts is hereinbefore described.

Having described my invention,what I claim 1s 1. In a car-brake, the combination, with the wheels, the brake-levers, the threaded rod connecting the lower ends of said levers, and the brake-shoes connected to said levers and to the truck, of the sleeve-nut traveling on the threaded connecting-rod, the ratchet-wheelv screwed in the sleeve-nut, the sleeve surrounding the sleeve-nut, the angle-lever pivoted in the sleeve, the pawl pivoted to the angle-lever and engaging the ratchet-wheel, and the linkbar conneetin g the an gle-lever and brake lever, substantially as specied.

2. In a car-brake, the combination,with the wheels, thebrake-levers, the threaded rod connecting the brake-levers, and the brake-shoes connected to the brake-levers and to the truck, of the sleeve-nut G, provided with the groove g, and with a square end to move it by awrench on the threaded rod, the ratchet-wheel H, secured to the sleeve-nut, the sleeve I, secured in position on the sleeve-nut by the screw i, the angle-lever J, pivoted in the sleeve, the supporting-bar M, the pawl K, pivoted to the shorter arm of the angle-lever, and the extensible link-bar L, connecting the angle-lever and brake-lever, and composed of the parts Z Z and nut Z', all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL MOLEOD.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. MAssnY. B. A. FIELD. 

